The shelves in the shops still have back to school supplies on sale but the Christmas things are being put on the shelves and before we know it Christmas will be over and we will be into a new year, so now is a good time to review your career goals. Autumn marks the beginning of the new academic year and a great time to make resolutions if your New year ones are long abandoned.
It will help if the goals and plans are realistic to begin
with, just as with New Year resolutions. Therefore, try breaking them down into
immediate, short and long term goals. Career goals may well be easy to express
in a few words, get a job, but to do so is made more likely by good planning
for your search, such as being sure that you have a good resume that shows you
in the best light it can. Starting with steps such as identifying your skills,
preparing your CV or resume and circulating it to job boards is a sound first
step but expecting to go on holiday, or buy a home will be a goal too far too
soon and will be a longer term plan. Some time ago I attended a course for
budding entrepreneurs, where we were being instructed to make short, medium and
long term goals for building a business, while we have a tendency to want a
quick fix.
Short-term objectives are points which will be accomplished within the next few days, weeks or even few months...like having a de-cluttering clear out, ready for spring cleaning. Such a plan is achieved bit by bit, e.g. one room at a time. Working through the stages step by step completes the goal.
Short-term objectives are points which will be accomplished within the next few days, weeks or even few months...like having a de-cluttering clear out, ready for spring cleaning. Such a plan is achieved bit by bit, e.g. one room at a time. Working through the stages step by step completes the goal.
In the case of job searching, an example is to first identify
your skills, list your experience and career history and qualifications, then
make a generic CV and build up a set of job specific CV's for the roles you're
going to apply for.
Have you identified a
lack of skills needed for the current workforce? If so, it may well help you if you do some
training and get a qualification. This
begins with finding the courses of study you need. It is true that the past years
have seen many financial cuts to adult education but there are excellent free
online courses from reputable organisations and I would especially
recommend in the UK, vision2learn
.
Long-term goals typically require a variety of steps and do
not happen overnight. An example was my realisation that I might use my
experiences as an older and disabled person looking for a job to write , and
create an income. I won’t be a well-known writer and be rich overnight but it
will grow, starting any business is never an overnight process.
Of course you may have listed your resolutions and goals
somewhere, even just in your head, however career goals tend to be recorded
more formally. This can be because you're a part of a government employment
programme, such as being on Job Seekers Allowance in the UK, and have to record
your job search activities. Even if not officially required to keep
a record of your job search activities, it is very helpful to do so.
Keep a record of your goals, and use the excellent and often
fun on-line ideas to help you. Bucket
lists are a popular idea over the past few years and have all kinds of ideas
from small to very grand plans. Enter a
Google search for free bucket list templates and ideas and enjoy making plans
You can even make a career specific bucket list. Just Google
Career bucket list for ideas to get going.
Of course, many people have no alternative other than for
work related goals to take precedence over personal ones, getting a job is
often a very urgent matter, but you will adapt as necessary, and don’t be too
hard on yourself if something does not work out, keep your plans realistic and
achievable. Goal
setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and time-targeted (SMART) goals….and remember to celebrate your achievements!!
*** if you have a web site or blog, get it up and running, place content on it regularly and monetise it with e.g. affiliate programmes, i.e. merchandising supporting your niche...children, computers, weddings etc. etc. Most people looking for a job would benefit from having a website as a place to illustrate the skills and experience they have, a website shows ‘your brand’. It need not have any cost involved as a simple website and or blog, can be set up at no cost and certainly be adequate at least to start with. While demonstrating your ‘brand’, who you are and what you can do, you may even find that your website and/or blog leads to a new career in itself, perhaps as a writer, an affiliate marketer selling products and services online or selling your own goods and/or crafts.
http://www.websitetooltester.com/en/blog/best-free-website-builders/
http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/best-web-builders-create-free-website/
http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/best-web-builders-create-free-website/
Not all of these are free but some of the sites have a free
version e.g. Weebly
For a cheap way to maximise your free time, and if you feel
you do not have any then you need to make some, looking for a job IS a job and we
know what the old saying is about all work and no play, broaden your reading horizons
with some of the many free and cheap books that are available online,
especially via Amazon. If you are reading this then you quite likely have some
way to get online and to read Amazon Kindle books, you do not need a Kindle as
apps are available for computers and cell phones, then try starting to write
some book reviews, this can lead to paid opportunities ~ You can also start
your own book review blog , write and publish to it reviews of books that you
read and then add an Amazon affiliates link to the book , be sure that people
see it , starting perhaps with friends and family and spread out from there and
make an income .
http://writersweekly.com/this-weeks-article/getting-paid-to-read-10-paying-book-review-markets-by-niki-taylor
http://writersweekly.com/this-weeks-article/getting-paid-to-read-10-paying-book-review-markets-by-niki-taylor
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